The Running of the Lemmings

The big thaw has happened. The birds are arriving by the dozens, skittering to a landing on a still partially frozen lake. The jack rabbits hopefully have started to turn brown or they are sitting ducks for predators like coyotes, foxes and fast moving sports cars. Regina will be having the annual running of the lemmings in the next couple of weeks which to people from Regina is the true beginning of Spring to the old timers. This custom began back in the 1800's when cabbage rolls were just nuggets and bunny hugging was still legal in the cold northern outposts of Saskatchewan. Saskatchewan has always been known for it's yearly migration of lemmings from the south to the north where they feed and have their offspring. Come fall they are all fattened up and hardly for their long track back to Phoenix Arizona where they stay in air conditioned trailers with gravel lawns. But come spring the whole city is comes alive with the excitement and the rush of the running of the lemmings.

You first see them come through town in ones or twos, the evening news makes it the lead story of the night. Lordy, lordy the lemmings have landed. Well the thrill that rushes through your body when you hear those words is like rolling up the rim of a Tim Horton's cup and finding that you won a car or a free cup of coffee, it is that kind of rush. From the first sighting on the town kicks into high gear. People pull out their Lemming outfits from last year. The police are put on extra patrol but have to driver very slowly so as not to run down the lemmings and of course they shut off Victoria Street for the running. It is different then the running of the bulls in Spain in that 1) lemmings have no horns and 2) you don't have to be macho to run with the lemmings you just need to watch where you place your feet so it is takes more grace then this:


These are mostly mean who feel that by dressing in red that it attracts the bulls to them and makes the running more exciting and they look more macho. Big clue for these guys, if you are running on a narrow street with bulls behind you the chances is that they are just trying to get the hell out of there instead of going after you specifically you big old macho guy you wearing that sexy red sash.

When it comes to the Running of the Lemmings, they block of the street of course because who wants to clean up the corpses of hundreds of lemmings that have become bits of furry carpet because of the cars. No we block it off to pedestrians only and only for one day. The day starts with a pancake and cabbage roll breakfast put on by the mayor. Then we take to the streets about 9am after the lemmings have woken up and are on the move, here is a picture of the last Running of the Lemmings:


As you can see by this picture that the it truly is a spectacle that no one should miss if they come to Regina in the Spring time.

My need to leave now for a fitting of my lemming outfit for this will be my first one and I want to look very lemmingish.

Next blog will be about what a springtime thaw looks like if you procrastinated when it came to cleaning up dog dropping from the backyard.

Until then Happy Spring!